Title 40

SECTION 80.27

80.27 Controls and prohibitions on gasoline volatility.

§ 80.27 Controls and prohibitions on gasoline volatility. Link to an amendment published at 85 FR 78467, Dec. 4, 2020.

(a)(1) Prohibited activities in 1991. During the 1991 regulatory control periods, no refiner, importer, distributor, reseller, carrier, retailer or wholesale purchaser-consumer shall sell, offer for sale, dispense, supply, offer for supply, or transport gasoline whose Reid vapor pressure exceeds the applicable standard. As used in this section and § 80.28, “applicable standard” means the standard listed in this paragraph for the geographical area and time period in which the gasoline is intended to be dispensed to motor vehicles or, if such area and time period cannot be determined, the standard listed in this paragraph that specifies the lowest Reid vapor pressure for the year in which the gasoline is being sampled. As used in this section and § 80.28, “regulatory control periods” mean June 1 to September 15 for retail outlets and wholesale purchaser-consumers and May 1 to September 15 for all other facilities.

(2) Prohibited activities in 1992 and beyond. During the 1992 and later high ozone seasons no person, including without limitation, no retailer or wholesale purchaser-consumer, and during the 1992 and later regulatory control periods, no refiner, importer, distributor, reseller, or carrier shall sell, offer for sale, dispense, supply, offer for supply, transport or introduce into commerce gasoline whose Reid vapor pressure exceeds the applicable standard. As used in this section and § 80.28, “applicable standard” means:

(i) 9.0 psi for all designated volatility attainment areas; and

(ii) The standard listed in this paragraph for the state and time period in which the gasoline is intended to be dispensed to motor vehicles for any designated volatility nonattainment area within such State or, if such area and time period cannot be determined, the standard listed in this paragraph that specifies the lowest Reid vapor pressure for the year in which the gasoline is sampled. Designated volatility attainment and designated volatility nonattainment areas and their exact boundaries are described in 40 CFR part 81, or such part as shall later be designated for that purpose. As used in this section and § 80.27, “high ozone season” means the period from June 1 to September 15 of any calendar year and “regulatory control period” means the period from May 1 to September 15 of any calendar year.

(b) Determination of compliance. Compliance with the standards listed in paragraph (a) of this section shall be determined by the use of the sampling methodologies specified in § 80.8 and the testing methodology specified in § 80.46(c) until December 31, 2015, and § 80.47 beginning January 1, 2016.

(c) Liability. Liability for violations of paragraph (a) of this section shall be determined according to the provisions of § 80.28. Where the terms refiner, importer, distributor, reseller, carrier, ethanol blender, retailer, or wholesale purchaser-consumer are expressed in the singular in § 80.28, these terms shall include the plural.

(d) Special provisions for alcohol blends. (1) Any gasoline which meets the requirements of paragraph (d)(2) of this section shall not be in violation of this section if its Reid vapor pressure does not exceed the applicable standard in paragraph (a) of this section by more than one pound per square inch (1.0 psi).

(2) In order to qualify for the special regulatory treatment specified in paragraph (d)(1) of this section, gasoline must contain denatured, anhydrous ethanol. The concentration of the ethanol, excluding the required denaturing agent, must be at least 9% and no more than 15% (by volume) of the gasoline. The ethanol content of the gasoline shall be determined by the use of one of the testing methodologies specified in § 80.47. The maximum ethanol content shall not exceed any applicable waiver conditions under section 211(f) of the Clean Air Act.

(3) Each invoice, loading ticket, bill of lading, delivery ticket and other document which accompanies a shipment of gasoline containing ethanol shall contain a legible and conspicuous statement that the gasoline being shipped contains ethanol and the percentage concentration of ethanol.

(e) Testing exemptions. (1)(i) Any person may request a testing exemption by submitting an application that includes all the information listed in paragraphs (e)(3) through (6) of this section to the attention of “Test Exemptions” to the address in § 80.10(a).

(ii) For purposes of this section, “testing exemption” means an exemption from the requirements of § 80.27(a) that is granted by the Administrator for the purpose of research or emissions certification.

(2)(i) In order for a testing exemption to be granted, the applicant must demonstrate the following:

(A) The proposed test program has a purpose that constitutes an appropriate basis for exemption;

(B) The proposed test program necessitates the granting of an exemption;

(C) The proposed test program exhibits reasonableness in scope; and

(D) The proposed test program exhibits a degree of control consistent with the purpose of the program and the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA's) monitoring requirements.

(ii) Paragraphs (e)(3), (4), (5) and (6) of this section describe what constitutes a sufficient demonstration for each of the four elements in paragraphs (e)(2)(i) (A) through (D) of this section.

(3) An appropriate purpose is limited to research or emissions certification. The testing exemption application must include a concise statement of the purpose(s) of the testing program.

(4) With respect to the necessity that an exemption be granted, the applicant must demonstrate an inability to achieve the stated purpose in a practicable manner, during a period of the year in which the volatility regulations do not apply, or without performing or causing to be performed one or more of the prohibited activities under § 80.27(a). If any site of the proposed test program is located in an area that has been classified by the Administrator as a nonattainment area for purposes of the ozone national ambient air quality standard, the application must also demonstrate an inability to perform the test program in an area that is not so classified.

(5) With respect to reasonableness, a test program must exhibit a duration of reasonable length, effect a reasonable number of vehicles or engines, and utilize a reasonable amount of high volatility fuel. In this regard, the testing exemption application must include:

(i) An estimate of the program's duration;

(ii) An estimate of the maximum number of vehicles or engines involved in the test program;

(iii) The time or mileage duration of the test program;

(iv) The range of volatility of the fuel (expressed in Reid Vapor Pressure (RVP)) expected to be used in the test program; and

(v) The quantity of fuel which exceeds the applicable standard that is expected to be used in the test program.

(6) With respect to control, a test program must be capable of affording EPA a monitoring capability. At a minimum, the testing exemption application must also include:

(i) The technical nature of the test program;

(ii) The site(s) of the test program (including the street address, city, county, State, and zip code);

(iii) The manner in which information on vehicles and engines used in the test program will be recorded and made available to the Administrator;

(iv) The manner in which results of the test program will be recorded and made available to the Administrator;

(v) The manner in which information on the fuel used in the test program (including RVP level(s), name, address, telephone number, and contact person of supplier, quantity, date received from the supplier) will be recorded and made available to the Administrator;

(vi) The manner in which the distribution pumps will be labeled to insure proper use of the test fuel;

(vii) The name, address, telephone number and title of the person(s) in the organization requesting a testing exemption from whom further information on the request may be obtained; and

(viii) The name, address, telephone number and title of the person(s) in the organization requesting a testing exemption who will be responsible for recording and making available to the Administrator the information specified in paragraphs (e)(6)(iii), (iv), and (v) of this section, and the location in which such information will be maintained.

(7) A testing exemption will be granted by the Administrator upon a demonstration that the requirements of paragraphs (e)(2), (3), (4), (5) and (6) of this section have been met. The testing exemption will be granted in the form of a memorandum of exemption signed by the applicant and the Administrator (or his delegate), which shall include such terms and conditions as the Administrator determines necessary to monitor the exemption and to carry out the purposes of this section. Any violation of such a term or condition shall cause the exemption to be void.

[54 FR 11883, Mar. 22, 1989] Editorial Note:For Federal Register citations affecting § 80.27, see the List of CFR Sections Affected, which appears in the Finding Aids section of the printed volume and at www.govinfo.gov.

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